Good morning from Nationals Park, where another big crowd is expected for today's series finale. I'll tell you what, though: I promise to refrain from making any mentions of all the Phillies fans invading D.C. today … provided it doesn't once again overtake the game itself in newsworthiness.

Despite last night's ugliness, the Nats do have an opportunity to take this series and earn their fifth win in their last seven games against Philadelphia … if they can somehow beat Roy Halladay. For that to happen, they're going to need a quality performance from Chien-Ming Wang, who wasn't as good last time out as he was the time before that in Chicago, but has overall made significant progress since coming off the DL.

Both of today's pitchers would be wise to work at a brisk pace. The forecast calls for only a 10 percent chance of rain until 4 p.m., at which point it goes up to 30 percent, then 60 percent by 5 p.m. A nice, 2 1/2-hour affair would be much appreciated.

At least in DC, there is never a safety issue for those goons like kt is when a Skins or Caps fan goes to Philly. So, I want too make a Phillies fan's experience as uncomfortable as possible when they come here. n fact, last season, i got one of those goons tossed from the ball park, it felt GREAT!!!

I promise to refrain from making any mentions of all the Phillies fans invading D.C. today … provided it doesn't once again overtake the game itself in newsworthiness.I think it does overtake the game in newsworthiness and I like hearing different takes on it. If the story line of the season is a team that is traveling from joke status to respectibility, then the implications of having Nats Park sold out to 90% phillies fans is more newsworthy than the fact we lost a game. People here are all too familiar with the Camden Yards Welcoming Committee for Yanks and Sox fans and it has hurt their team considerably.In last night's thread, I found out I'm not the only one who hasn't returned to a phillies series since OD 2010, and there's many more who don't post on this blog. It is a systemic problem within the organization and they should feel pressure on it from the hometown fans and that pressure comes from journalists writing about what a joke it is.Don't stifle the discussion because of a preconceived notion that to talk about how the marketing team caters to Philadelphia-area fans is somehow a less relevant thing to discuss than another shutout loss to a team that has had our number over the years.That being said, glad to see Werth back in the 5 hole and Nix out of the lineup. He's due for a big game. Also, Rick Ankiel is 0-12 in the last 3 games with 7(!) strikeouts. Why in the world is he batting second? Danny's got a 4 game hitting "streak" going and at least doesn't K as much.

Hey, where did my comment on the last thread go? Did the Phans deep six it? The Lerners? NatsJack? Oh well, 1a can vouch for it. Let's actually finish the job against Halladay today. With Stairs finally not available to strike out with the tying run in scoring position, it could happen. Go Wang.

Mick said… "The Lerners should consult Ted Leonsis on how to keep opposing team's fans the hell out of our ball park. It can be done if the Lerners "REALLY" want to do it."Also replied to in previous topic:Different environments. The Caps have cut off season ticket sales at a level leaving only about a 1000-2000 tickets available for single game sales. They open up single game sales to STH and people on the STH wait list before tickets go on sale to the public. By the time this sale is over, there's usually very few tickets left for the opposing fans that used to come to Verizon Center in any significant numbers (Pens, Flyers, Red Wings, Sabres and Rangers). The Nats have way too many available seats for that to work here.ADDENDUM: Ted's cutoff affected Internet sales has been based upon zip code/IP address, and was primarily done during the playoffs.

"The Lerners should consult Ted Leonsis on how to keep opposing team's fans the hell out of our ball park. It can be done if the Lerners "REALLY" want to do it."The Lerners need to find a way to cut off MASN and its blatant wOe's bias. First and foremost the Nats need their own network for its fans. Not a shared resource that is biased toward the Angel'O's.

N. Cognito made some excellent points on STH sales and available tickets and it still is hard to compare. Verizon has approx 20,000 seats and Nats park approx 42,000. The Caps have about 17,000 STH and the Nats about 10,000. The Nats seem to have with partial plans another 3,000 to 5,000 that show up and another 7,000 to 12,000 that make each game.On Philly's games, the Nats fans stay away as who wants to subject their families to obnoxious fans?I am a Caps fan and they have their own set of problems and Ted Leonsis isn't the all-knowing. I don't buy into much Ted says as reality. I like my owners behind the scenes as they have a vested interest like Ted and Snyder to push their product.

It was in Philadelphia that a Hungarian family therapist, wondering at the common root of all these Pennsylvania families that he was seeing rip each other apart, choosing to be mean rather nice, coined the phrase "destructive entitlement" to explain it all. It has since been written about by business analysts as if they discovered it, new-mined from the earth. None of them attribute it to the man who invented it: Ivan Böszörményi-Nagy (pr. BosJOINyee Nehj (May 19, 1920, Budapest, Hungary – January 28, 2007, Glenside, Pennsylvania) an Hungarian-American psychiatrist and one of the founders of the field of family therapy. He emigrated from Hungary to the United States in 1950, and what ferftile fields of disfunction did he find in Philadelphia and its suburbs. Many of these fans epitomize destructive entitlement. They feel entitled to act rudely, entitled to vent their engorged spleens at you and me, my brothers and sisters in baseball. The Lerners come from a proud tradition of D.C. baseball ownership. "Who invented swimming?", Clark Griffith's players would ask a rookie after his first contract negotiation. "Clark Griffith, the first time he came to a toll bridge!", would be the reply. But we need not feel entitled to a stadium filled with our own. It's best to let 'em knock themselves out and relish that team of underdogs on the field who will on occasion, dulcify the Philly fans nicely. We need not see ourselves as victims. Our victories are rarer and more exultant. Let us meet them with civility and wait for them to catch on or pass out.

Pat Corrales, when asked if he was going to stick with the team next year, said, "I want to be involved in baseball… if Davey asks me to come back and be his bench coach, I probably will."Sure sounds like Davey's coming back next season.

Heavy thunder for the past half hour here in DC (about a block and a half from the old Griffith Stadium site), and getting dark. The radar shows a big ol' mess of storms about an hour and a half to two hours out.and the password islusheducLet's hope the Philly lushes get an educ. today. Scool 'em yfnse.

We will have this Phillies debate every series until the local fanbase decides to support their local team. It can be done as we saw for Opening Day this year and Strasmas. I think the Nats marketing department should consider a different approach rather than the easy way out which appears to be just letting Philthies buy the tickets. I don't have simple answers as I don't think there is an easy way to keep them away.

Thanks, Sec. 3! Pat looks a lot healthier than Davey, who just looks exhausted, and not in a good way, after each game. WIth all the air-travel in recyled-air cabins (ever notice how someone on a professional MLB or NBA team always has the flu?) and the daily grind, Pat looks better than Davey. Davey is smarter than most, and he chose to retire for a reason. May he be healthy and vital, but I've been worried ever since the month after he took over.

Anonymous said… "The Lerners, like Stan Kasten, will continue to encourage and welcome the Phillies fans until such time as the Nats fans start supporting the team."How are they encouraging it, other than the standard e-mails that go to most people that purchse tickets? Something I agree should end for people in the Philly area.

Wang got out of that jam. I wish that LannEn and JZim both learned to settle down after a mishap.FP made about a 1/2 dozen excuses for Espinosa not handling Ryan Howards ball to short-RF. No excuse needed. Get to the park early and take dozens of ground balls. It is just like FPs reason yesterday why Jimmy Rollins does so well on the balls up the middle behind 2nd base because he practices all the time on it. Yes, practice makes perfect.

@flynnie, I like your analysis of the Philadelphia mind-set.Driving to the ballpark yesterday, my wife and I were chatting about why there seems to be such a deep-seated resentment among Philadelphia sports fans. Maybe it's a stretch, but here's the scenario I came up with: 225 years ago, Philadelphia was the most important city in the U.S. It was not only a government center, but an important trading city. Over the next couple centuries, however, New York became the center for trade, while the completely invented Federal City of Washington became the center of government. Philly was left being that biggish city in the mid-Atlantic, without any particularly important role.Or maybe they're just all naturally mad. Who knows?

Espinosa did single in a run–I don't see how taking a pitch on Halladay there is better. It's not like he was wild and walking people. I don't think taking a strike is much use against this particular guy. Just went back to look at Ruiz's home run–a fastball on the inside black, about [below-the-belt]-high. Trouble there, IMO, was that the first pitch was the same pitch, but inside for ball one. You just showed a good hitter that pitch, and Wang seems to me to like to double up early in a count–anybody with a book able to confirm that?

Dave – I heard on NPR that Constaninople was almost destroyed by warring fans of different chariot racing teams – the Greens and the Blues. The Nika riots took place over the course of a week in Constantinople in AD 532. It was the most violent riot that Constantinople had ever seen to that point, with nearly half the city being burned or destroyed and tens of thousands of people killed. There is a glorification of the rude, tough and mean among Philly fans that I think is the way most sports fans used to be at the turn of the century. Vin Scully talks about the physical violence between Dodger and Giant fans that, has, unfortunately, followed the teams out west. In Boston I was friends with a lawyer who graduated Harvard in the early 30's. He said that the idea of a great weekend was to get drunk and fight. It perplexed him. From Whitey Bulger's South Boston, to the Gangs of New York to the immigrant population who established themselves in Philadelphia, might made right. Unfortunately, kinder manners and gentler laws have never seized the popular imagination in Philly.

Espinosa and Morse are #1 and #3 in the league in HBP. Who's #2? Justin Upton. Oh hey, Arizona's coming to town! Should be fun seeing what happens in that series. Methinks all those numbers will be on the rise.

With the exception of the two mistakes, Wang actually looks pretty good so far. Strong velocity (I saw 95 on the TV gun once), and even the mistakes were moving laterally, they just didn't also sink. And if Espy doesn't slip, those are both solo shots. What is with the strikeouts?A great comeback story so far. That being said, I also agree that he shouldn't be resigned. he doesn't seem to confidently project to be materially better than a host of Nats like Detwiler, Livo, Gorzy, Peacock, Milone, and probably more expensive. Still think that the Nats could use another above average starter next year.

Bryan Scrafford - Aug 21, 2011 at 6:48 PM

I think the big thing that's not getting enough attention in the discussion about the Phillies fans is that they wouldn't be able to take over the stadium if more Nats fans were showing up. I was at the game on Friday (as I'm at a lot of games) and it was frustrating that the Phillies fans dominated the crowd, but I don't think DC folks are in a place to complain if they're not making it out to games.Just my two cents.

Dave says that ever since Espinosa "moved to Mariachi" for his theme music, he's on a 5 game hitting streak. It will have to wait til his next AB, but I wonder if Charlie, Dave and the Jack of All Things are dancing in the booth the way they did to Wil Nieves' theme song – a YouTube favorite!

@Bryan S, your logic is irrefutable.The Nats will be winners soon. The place will be rocking, and Nats fans will fill the place. Then I will be vindicated for keeping a season ticket going during all these losing years.

Dave said… @MarkZuckerman on Twitter: "Wang threw that sinker at a height roughly the equivalent of the body part his name is a euphemism for."Zuckerman is king of the baseball writers. August 21, 2011 2:43 PM ______________________________Funny and true.I think the Nats show do the rain dance to get Halladay out of the game.

Anybody catch FP's 'Oompa Loompa' comment earlier? He referred to the high socks look as something only a tall guy like Pence can pull off. Short guys like FP look like Oompa Loompas.The funniest thing about that exchange was that Carp had no idea what he was talking about. Who doesn't know who oompa loompas are?

Bryan, O's fans have the same experience whenever they play the Yankees or Sawx at Camden Yards. NatsPark is over-run by Mets fans and Cubs fans when they play here. It's just that they aren't as rude or physically violent as the Philly fans, and anyone is right to complain about incivility and barbarism at a place they pay to attend. NatsFans should not reward ownership with sellouts when ownership has put successive 100+ loss teams on the field. Phillies fans should reward their ownership for going all out as they have to bring the World Championship home – it's just such a pity that they include so many louts who need to be put in an evolution machine and press fast forward.

@Sec 3, My Sofa said… I'm waiting for October, but if Wang continues the direction he's been going, I think he could win around 15 games next year, here. August 21, 2011 2:54 PM Sec, what is in your coffey? 15 wins next year based on what? If anyone really believes that, he will be a Red Sox or Angel next year because they have pro scouts not some ridiculous hunch you have.

Grandstander – yeah, Bob is like my Uncle Charlie. He has reached that point in life where he doesn't feel the need to talk about anything that he doesn't want to talk about. I give FP credit for rolling along with it.

Well, I guess this is ultimate compliment – i just never feel comfortable with Utley up. Looking forward to his retirement.More on Bob as Uncle Charlie – his fascination with weather. If he starts with directions or gas prices, I am going for the mute button.

Ian Desmond irritates me, man I hope Rendon can play next season and then move Espinosa back to SS. That bunt was so effortless and Desmond has a demeanor about him that he could care less. He is part of the culture of losing here.After WerthLESS AB in this inning I bet every Philly fan is laughing their ass off at Nats. Werth simply SUCKS!

Werth deal would only be worse than the 1971 McCalin deal if Nats were stupid enough too give any players for him, fortunately, its only cash. WerthLESS is simply a bust. I hope Nats get rid of him like Skins did McNabb

I don't know…it's hard to take a phrase like "crappy gutless Washington team" from somebody who won't even go by a nickname online.Wang is looking pretty good today. One unfortunately 2-run mistake is the difference in the game.

Sec, what is in your coffey? 15 wins next year based on what? If anyone really believes that, he will be a Red Sox or Angel next year because they have pro scouts not some ridiculous hunch you have. August 21, 2011 2:59 PM ___________________________I am seeing a work-in-progress. 15 wins is a stretch at this point. Agree with Anon that if scouts and other GMs believe he is doable for 15 wins he will seriously be in high demand. He won't go back to the Yankees and it still leads a lot of options including the Nats.

FP had a pretty good idea earlier. A reality show around groundskeepers. Now, I admit that I am not the guy to predict which reality show ideas will work, since I never watch them (except for 1 episode of Swamp People when my army buddy was in town).But something showing the behind the scenes of a big, professional sports stadium wold be pretty cool.

Charlie and Dave are most interesting during a rain delay. Fortunately, MLB Gameday Audio keeps the stream going during a rain delay.(Guess I could just turn on my FM radio, but that feels so "old school.")

Dave Jags just told a fantastic story about driving home last night from Nats Park. He was behind a bus from Philadelphia. Dave took the I-295 south on-ramp, because that's how he needed to go. The Philly bus cut Dave off and got on that ramp too (not 295 north).Bus driver stops in the middle of the ramp and proceeds to go into reverse. Dave said the bus driver actually wanted to back up on the ramp to correct his mistake.Dave said he leaned on his horn and would not let the driver back up. Says he saw that it was a 215 area code on the company name, and therefore Dave had no intention of letting him back up. He said, "Maybe he got turned around in Richmond."Dave Jageler for President!

Well, I can confirm that there is something worse than being in your STH seat and surrounded by hundreds of phans – it's being jammed into a hot steamy dark concourse with thgousands of them during a rain delay. Trust me Mark, it's hard to muster up any sympathy for your pressbox windows whining…

hehe, you're welcome, sec3. I remembered the look from watching during the postseason a few years back.Thanks for sharing the Dave J. story, Dave. Loved it!Re. grounds crew and reality shows, MLB Network occasionally has such programming. Recently saw one featuring the Reds, and grounds crew was among the featured roles.

Dave: Thank you for you compliment. I appreciate it when people refer to my being confident..although occasionally I have been called arrogant. And Carpenter is the definition of blah…but I don't believe he's gonna be around next year, so one more month won't be so bad.

Hank was the long-time SF radio guy. If you like Charlie and Dave, you'd probably have liked him. Usually dry sense of humor, raucous when the situation called for it, very well informed indeed–funny, funny guy.

Wally said… Mark said … Espinosa's got four RBI today, and the Nats have tied this game 3-3 in the sixth. Gotta be a record, no?Wally, when you're in a slump, that's how it goes–even good days wind up costing you.

Schwimer calls off Ruiz not once, but twice and then strikes out red hot Ryan Zimmerman looking and the side.I thought it was supposed to get easier getting Halladay out of the game, at least the Nats got 2 runs off of Halladay in his 1st inning of work today!

i like Carp, but he is clueless. after announcing the weekend attendance totals, he says: "Well done, Nats fans, and we welcome some visitors from up North." um, excuse me?? Seems to me Nats fans had little to do with those totals.

Jayson WerthLESS worst deal since 1971 Denny McClain deal. $125 mil BUST and he is laughing all the way to the bank. maybe this bum will go AWOL like Curt Flood and spare us another season of watching his feeble efforts at the plate

Bryan Scrafford - Aug 21, 2011 at 9:16 PM

It's good to see Espinosa having a good 3 hit day after the struggles he's had since the All Star break. Perhaps it's just a sign that he had his sophomore slump a little early.

Mick – Davey has not uttered a peep in support of anyone since he has been here. The ump screamed at Clip one day, he didn't back him up.It would appear that's not something he does. And – Shane Victorino was out on that pick off. And — Tyler Clippard is Houdini.

I was hoping 2nd time through the order they could hit Schwimer. Pence was playing Danny deep so that doink dropped in. Hope Charlie leaves him in to see what the top of the order does 2nd time around.

Bryan Scrafford - Aug 21, 2011 at 9:21 PM

I like bringing Storen in now even though the score's tied instead of trying to keep him for the possibility of being used in extra innings. We've seen that tactic backfire on us a few times this season.

DJ is gambling that we'll score in the 9th, assuming Drew shuts them down with no runs. Good gamble IMHO.Whatever the outcome, let's take the good. Danny has come alive. Desi got a couple of big hits in this series. Zimm's right where he should be. And Wang out-pitched Halladay in everything but score. We're on the right track.

I remember when John Hirschbeck threw out Cal for arguing balls and strikes. The Post tracked down the ump who had last done thrown Cal out at home. He said, "It was like throwing Jesus out of church."

Storen has not looked good his last couple of outings, very hittable. He, like so many Nats, needs to pick it up. The free base in a tied game was unexcusable. At least make them earn it.And Mick, Curt Flood came back for the $.

Life was going so well. I fell asleep in the rain to Dave's voice telling how he refused to let the Philly bus back off the on-ramp; Charlie saying, "Don't back off an on ramp. That sounds like it ought to be on page one of "How to Drive a Bus." Maybe he got turned around by Richmond." I woke up to Espi's home run. Charlie and Dave on the radio, (storm knocked the TV out), and thought I was in heaven. But the Phillies have just scored, this is not heaven, but the Vale of Tears.

SC Nats Fans — That is actually not true, the last time he closed he got in a little trouble but the time before that ( last friday night maybe?) he went 1-2-3 and was absolutely filthy. Let's remember what kind of hitters these are folks, top to bottom. There is a good reason they have won a record number of games for this point of the season. I think we have held our own in this series and in the season series, especially at home, quite well, or as well as any other team.This is who you measure up against and it has not all been bad news.

SCNatsFan said… Storen has not looked good his last couple of outings, very hittable. He, like so many Nats, needs to pick it up. The free base in a tied game was unexcusable. At least make them earn it.And Mick, Curt Flood came back for the $. August 21, 2011 5:28 PM _____________________________Storen needed to get past Hunter Pence which he did and got the slumping Ibanez who he walked and was in the bottom of the odor.Not great.

Okay, when Carpenter suggested that Schwimmer would love to hand his (potential) win to Halladay, he lost me.Kid comes into a big-league game, is lights-out after giving up a dinger, and he should "hand" the win over to the veteran who's not in line for the win? Ridiculous!

IAN!!! Shut the Phillie fans up!!!I was about to say how embarassed I am about the visiting fans chhering and how poor it is we need to pinch hit, at a major legue level, Brian Bixler. But Ian just made my day better!

Dave, the rookie came in with the lead, Halliday in line for the win, right. It was 3-2 and Schwimmer gave up the HR to take a potential win from Halliday.Right? It makes sense. If Carpy lost you, maybe it was not Carp's fault.

@Sporkler, fair enough. But even if he sort of vultured the win (and there's that worthless statistic again), I can't imagine him just wanting to hand it over to Halladay. Who undoubtedly has at some point in his career benefited from the weirdo definition of a pitcher win, I'm sure.

@flynnie, that shift worked wonders last night when Howard hit one into shallow RF. Danny was right there to play the ball, way deep into the grass in RF, and they got Howard out at first. I had the same thought last night as you just expressed.

Burnett was excellent! And thanks to whoever invented the "Ryan Howard Right Field Shift." I don't know why it works (aren't most of his home runs opposite field?) but am glad that it does! If this double posts, something funky is afoot on the site. GO ZIMM! On 2d Nobody Out. OHHHH, dare we even think it????

Walk-off HBP! Are there any Phillies phans who have the guts to even continue to wear their T-shirts in Nats Park?Extremely satisfying. Thank you, wild Brad Lidge. Thank you, Jonny Mohawk Gomes for standing there and taking that wild pitch like a man.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAAHAHAHA!GO YOU FREAKING NATS GO!!!!!!!!!!!And to all you wonderful Phreaking Phillie Phans…get on outta here, take your skanky girl friends back home with you, try using some Dial soap and mouthwash next time, or better yet, just stay the hell outta here.

WOW credit to Desi and Burnett. Ofcourse Zimm as well who started with a double, forced Phillies to walk Morse, let Werth hit. So glad we won it. Four games in September, let's aim to keep eating away at their lead. We won the day Halladay started. How many times that has happened?

I almost don't believe what I saw from the Kardiac Kids!! And Jayson really did have a hand in both of these wins – way to shut up the f$$%%^^ing Phans!!! They were really loud at Desi's at-bat when he was 3-2. They really thought they had it in the bag. And once again, even though Drew blew it they won anyway!!!I love the battling attitude by batters and pitchers! Ecstatic!!

On another note, why did the Devil Rays ever let Charlie Slowes go? For that matter, why isn't he still doing Wizards games? He and Dave are pure aural gold, and my only fear is that they'll end up replacing John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman doing the Yankees' radio.

For those that question Desi's plan at the plate, he talked in the post-game about his plan against Bastardo.Impressive for the guys that catch so much crap here like Burnett, Desi and Werth. I will say I give Burnett a lot of crap but will also say he came through today.

I know! I am really glad Sean is back to being Sean again. And SO glad Desi and Espi were so instrumental in the wins. As for Gomes, it is ONE thing to hit a ball coming that fast, and a whole 'nother thing to override the brain's survival instinct to get out of the way of it. Incredible. and hilarious post, Sunshine Bobby!What a sweet series.

Dave, your game-winning post (Thank you, Jonny Mohawk!)was almost as good as what will be Dave's classic: "Inside IT HIT HIM! THE GAME'S OVER!!!" Two homers, 3 RBI by Espi, a game-saving definition of clutchiness homer by Desi w/two out in the bottom of the 9th, and then Zimm doubles, Werth singles, and then Gomes shall not be moved.

I have a (surprising) word of thanks to the Phillies fans. Think about it. They collectively spent a lot of money in DC over the last few days. Lots of tax revenue. DC thanks you. And they bring BAD LUCK to the Phillies, who have lost not only this series, but the season series in Washington. The Nats and their fans thank you. Keep it up next year!! We'll take all the games — and all the money — you want to give us.

"Charlie Manuel says that the Nats aren't in first place, but play the Phillies harder than any other team. The Nats got away from that in 2009 and 2010, but this year it's been like 2006, 2007 where these teams were evenly matched and you didn't know what was going to happen."Charlie Slowes"A lot of folks from Philadelphia have come down here, spent some serious money in the area over the last couple days, and have nothing to show for it. It's a lovely thing!"Phil Wood

I have a confession in the 9th because I have seen this tent fold before. Drew blows the tie. Flores and Bixler with horibble looking ABs and Desi goes down to 0-2. I know NatsLady likes the odds of W/L. I would say the odds there of winning were 1:1000 and I was ready to smash Davey as to putting Bixler in as his PH instead of Ramos and Desmond saved the day.Burnett did great in the Top of the 10th and with Zim leading off with that double was huge and walking Morse with Werth on deck was the right move by Manuel and Werth foiled it. Espinosa deserved the honors of the walkoff and the Baseball Gods had a different ending.Just another bizarre game and Espi picked up Wang and Desi picked up Storen.BTW, it is a 2 hour to 2 1/2 hour drive back to Geno's in Philthadelphia and it is a long drive after you lose. I should know. I made the loser drive back last Saturday from that Hell Hole after that lousy loss.

Don't forget to check in on some Phillies blogs tomorrow – should be hilarious. Wouldn't you like to be a fly on the wall on one of those charter buses? I am so happy to get those people out of town!!!

Andrew, I'll confess along with you. During Desmond's final AB, I was scrolling around my cable tv media guide, working on setting up some programs to record for my hubby. Trying to distance myself from impending doom by reducing the in-game picture to a little window in the top corner of the screen as I navigated through the guide. Then, what the? A Desi dinger! Woohoo!! I started to kinda sort believe that maybe the Nats could pull this thing off. What a rollercoaster towards the end of this game! I laughed out loud when Gomes was HBP. No offense, dude, I'm really starting to like you, but I couldn't believe how it all ended. Ahhh…might just save that little video tidbit along with Zimm's walkoff from the other night…

Nats Outsider said… I have a (surprising) word of thanks to the Phillies fans. Think about it. They collectively spent a lot of money in DC over the last few days. Lots of tax revenue. DC thanks you. And they bring BAD LUCK to the Phillies, who have lost not only this series, but the season series in Washington. The Nats and their fans thank you. Keep it up next year!! We'll take all the games — and all the money — you want to give us. August 21, 2011 6:32 PM While it is poetic justice, I had tickets for today and burned them. I contemplated going and didn't want the hassle. I did enjoy the vision on the TV. I still think if we can rally more fans so we are back in control of the majority of the stadium, this rivalry will be real fun.How's about the idiot directly behind home plate opening up his Phillies jersey standing up in the 1st row shaking his head up and down for the cameras while Bastardo was pitching to Desmond. He probably distracted his pitcher!I wonder how many arrests the police had of Phoolies.

Phil Wood just said that Bud Selig felt that the Lerners owed him something for awarding them the franchise and that was the source of the team-killing frugality. The Lerners, seeing that Selig's slotting system and low payroll wasn't getting them anywhere, walked away from it in the last two years. I don't buy it. CBS sports reported that the hotels wouldn't do business with the Nats because they were so slow paying, scouts were quitting – all because Ted Lerner was triple checking and quibbling with every expense. I'm hoping that has stopped and that what we saw this afternoon and Friday night is the new order of the day.

It's not just the numbers of them, but the reports I am hearing of their behavior. I am aware that they can't go to games in their own park – I am aware that they spend a lot of money. I am sure that they buy their tickets very far ahead, when I haven't even looked at the schedule for the next week. But – I think the organization needs to crack down on behavior issues – if you end up out on the sidewalk maybe you will stop coming or behave nicely. We don't need the hooligan-type behavior in our park. After Desi's HR I saw a nats fan just yelling "GO HOME"! They really don't bring their fans good luck,do they?

WAY TO GO GO GOMES!!!! Way to shut those suckinph**kinfilthy phans up!! Two out of three! Gotta Luvit!!On the way back, those loudmouth louts and skanks are prolly saying at least we are in first place. It's so nice to have them come down and fill Nats Park and then lose two out of three! Heh, heh, heh. Hope DC made a Lot of money! We know the Lerners did! Rizzo has some more spending money! YeeHaw!!Now for another first place team to come in. The snakes. Haven't they lost like five on the road?GYFNG!!!!

I know Jayson Werth has struggled this year. I know he is getting paid a lot of money. But – what in the world is the basis for the hatorade against him by the Philly fans? He helped them win a world series for goodness sake! He didn't reject them or anything. He did a lot of good things for their team, and they are probably better off without him.I just don't get the venom. Even though he doesn't have the sparkling stats from this series, he was instrumental in both wins. The continuing nastiness against him puzzles me.

Hey Mick does Desmond still "irritate" you .Sorry couldn't help it. I think he is destine to be a utility player but I've been wrong before.They should have played the na na hey hey goodbye song at the end for the Philly fans.

gonatsgoWell, technically he did reject them when he signed with us instead of them. It's totally irrational to hate a guy like that for signing the contract he did, not one of them would have not done that, but in the warped mind of an idiot, that somehow translates into him being a jerk.When Ryan Zimmerman signs for $200 million with the Yankees, I will not boo him.

I re-watched the 10th inning and Ibanez's throw on Jayson Werth's single was so far offline that if Bo Porter sent Zim, he may have scored.How poetic would that have been if Werth got the walk-off hit against his old team?

Hey 1a, here's a priceless gem from that Philly forum:Posted by Middle_In:"Wow… a walk off HBP. Now THAT'S an honorable way to win a game… "How's that for typical Philadelphia? Their pitcher loses the game for them, and they blame the Nats for winning it dishonorably.Priceless!

In other news, Manuel doesn't know how to manage a bullpen or a game and, if he'd only listen to blog commenters, he'd be much more successful. What a coincidence, 'cause it sounds just like NatsTown. Huh. Who knew? ;-)http://www.forums.mlb.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?tsn=1&nav=messages&webtag=ml-phillies&tid=102337

Andrew, it bewilders me why Porter held Zim at third. Even if Ibanez' throw was on target, the Nats would *still* have had a RISP with only one out. I think that would have been a very reasonable risk to take. All's well that ends well, of course.

DaveI didn't say I'd love him, I said I wouldn't boo him. I obviously very much want the Nats to be aggressive in resigning him but I'm afraid we just won't be able to compete with what some of the other teams are willing to throw at him. But that's then and this is now. Hopefully in that time we can become a contender and he'll want to stay and get himself a ring.Nats OutsiderMorse is under club control until 2014. He is, however, arb eligible next season. So you can expect him to cost a bit more than the $1 million we're paying him now. Whether or not he goes to arb depends on what we offer him. I'd like to see him ink a 5 year deal or something to that effect, as we did with Zim.

Nats InsiderI disagree, Bo was right in holding him there. That puts the winning run on 3rd with no one out. If Ibanez makes that throw, it wouldn't even be close, and then you've got 1B and 2B with 1 out. Bases loaded with no one out you've got an almost astronomical winning percentage. Why blow it?Just looked it up. According to FanGraphs, win % was 93.5% after Werth's single.

A DC Wonk said… Mick said…Ian Desmond irritates me…. He is part of the culture of losing here.A bit harsh and/or over-reaction on the criticism there, don't you think? August 21, 2011 7:41 PM ____________________________Desmond said he has been getting help from Michael Morse and today Michael worked with him on his left hand in his swing. So assist to Michael Morse and the fact he is taking a leadership role.

Grandstander, I will be surprised if the Nats do not open the bank account wide for the Z-man sometime this next year. They have a lot of goodwill they need to recover, and losing the third baseman of the century would be a bad move.In other words, I simply do not believe that "Lerners are cheap" stuff, and I never have. I believe they are building this club the right way.

Grandstander said, "Morse is under club control until 2014. He is, however, arb eligible next season."Okay, that's good news. I was reading SpotTrac, which says he is UFA next year. http://www.spotrac.com/mlb/washington-nationals/mike-morse/And of course, no one can put anything on the Internet unless it's true, right? ;-)I

I don't doubt they will open the coffers for him, I'm just wondering if someone will open them more. Zim wants to be part of a winning club and if he feels this team is not getting there quick enough, I don't doubt he'll jump ship.I used to believe LAC. And I still believe they were. I think Selig and Kasten sold them on the fact they were a small market team. I think Rizzo has been part of their understanding how to spend money as a ball club. I think Rizzo sold them on spending big on the draft because you could hit the lottery.Whether it was wise or not, they've certainly been spending lots since Kasten left. Record amounts on the draft plus Werth. Anyone still espousing that garbage is either trolling or not paying attention.

Dave said… Grandstander, I will be surprised if the Nats do not open the bank account wide for the Z-man sometime this next year. They have a lot of goodwill they need to recover, and losing the third baseman of the century would be a bad move.In other words, I simply do not believe that "Lerners are cheap" stuff, and I never have. I believe they are building this club the right way. August 21, 2011 7:50 PM _____________________________Can't wait till next year. It has to be soon. I think Ted Lerner smells winning. Hoping the goodwill attracts more fans. Strasburg and Bryce Harper are national names but Zimmerman is a Nationals name.

I know Desi's the hero and all, but I don't get what he was doing just before the rain delay. If you were there you would have seen that the rain was barely minutes away (thunder and lightning all over the place and a few drops already falling), we are down by 1 run and it was not an official game. SLOW the game down, man, Halladay is not coming back after a rain delay and our bullpen is in good shape. Somebody in the dugout should have told ALL our hitters in the bottom of the 5th–SLOW the game down. Take pitches, foul off pitches, lollygag in the on-deck circle, whatever.OTOH, bottom of the ninth, and the Fillies fans are on their feet, loud, really loud. I'm getting that same bad feeling I had last night. Then–Desi's homer and in one beautifully choreographed move they all sat down and shut up. I almost didn't care if we won the game, that instant was unbelievably satisfying!!! But we did win, and in the words of Scooter,"I like baseball very much."

Thanks for that, Grandstander. Now I don't feel quite so bad about my confession. :-)Grandstander said… For those curious, FanGraphs Win Expectancy for Desmond's homer was 4.4%. When you consider he was down 2 strikes in that AB, that's about as low as it gets. Totally improbable. August 21, 2011 7:51 PM

For all of you "fans" that won't go to a Phillies/Nats game, all I can say is that's too damn bad. I went Friday night and today. Regarding both of them, I had two of the most rewarding games of the many, many games that I've gone to. Silence was Golden, especially today. Ian's homer in the 9th to tie it shut up a very vocal Phillies crown. Jonny Gomes getting HBP was just as effective as a communal shot of thorozine to the lot of them. I'm pretty sure that their ride back up 95 really sucked. Ha!I want to go to any Phillies/Nats game that i possibly can. If nothing else, it's usually great baseball.

For the poster who asked about Gorzy, he apparently had some kind of strain, that's why he didn't stay in. I would have kept Clipp in for the 9th (and I said that at the time so not just in hindsight) since he was plenty rested. I understand the "book" is to put your closer in, but we don't have days off coming up, so I would use the minimum number of pitchers.

Jimmy Rollins is on the DL with a strained groin he suffered in today's game. As we saw with Zimm, that's not an injury that you just bounce back from good as new. How will the Phillies do in the playoffs without a shortstop? They'd give a lot for Ian Desmond now, but Pat Gillick burned down the farm to bring home the World championship.